Ever After
by My Lady Vader
Summary: A series of oneshots that take place after the season 3 finale. Regina-centric, but will contain other characters too.
1. Fight

**This is going to be a series of oneshots that take place after the season 3 finale, which was awesome and sucked at the same time. I just needed an outlet in order to process everything that happened in the finale. ****Hopefully you'll enjoy, and if not, leave a note explaining why.**

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Regina sat, hidden and alone in the forest. Anger and grief once again consumed her soul, but she did her best to not dwell in it. She clenched the wood she was sitting on, squeezing until her hands hurt. Warm tears ran down her face, and she didn't try to quell them. She hadn't allowed herself to cry over Daniel; her mother saw tears as weakness. But something that being with the Charmings had taught her was not to bottle her emotions, and so she was trying.

"Regina?"

At the sound of her voice, Regina shuddered. "You are the last person on this earth-or any other for that matter-that I want to talk to _Miss Swan._"

Emma must have ignored her because there was movement behind her, and then she was sitting on the same log as Regina, facing the opposite direction.

"I'm sorry," she said, and Regina could hear the horror in the woman's voice. "I am so sorry Regina. I had _no _idea who she was. If I did-"

Regina interrupted her. "You would have what?" she asked, her voice biting. Emma looked taken aback. "You would have left her to die? Killed her yourself? Left her in Rumplestilskin's little closet?" She laughed, but it held no warmth.

Emma looked away. Of course she had no answer; Regina knew the woman would have still saved her. _Her. _The woman that had changed everything.

Regina sighed in defeat. "No, if I had been in her shoes…" she paused and tried to regain control of her raging emotions. "Then I would have wanted to be reunited."

Emma turned to face her again and said something that completely shocked Regina. "Fight for him."

Regina frowned at her. "What?"

"Fight for him Regina," Emma said, her face flashing a myriad of emotions. "He's your true love. That should never change."

Regina shook her head. "No, that was before…before this altered time."

"Bullshit," Emma told her. "When did Tinkerbell first show him to you?"

Regina frowned, unsure of where Swan was going with this. "It was right after I was married to Snow's father," she said.

Emma smiled. "Before you had Marion imprisoned."

Confusion flooded Regina. "I had her what?"

"Imprisoned. For helped Mary Margret," Emma explained. "But when Tinkerbell showed him to you, telling you that _you _were _his _soul mate, he was still married."

Regina opened her mouth to argue, but Emma cut her off. "No, there's no argument. No matter what, you two are supposed to be happy. Regina, I know you lost Daniel, but you fought for him. You fought me for Henry. Don't give up on Robin."

Regina turned away. "I fought for Daniel and he was murdered. You and I found a way to work past our differences for Henry's sake-" she looked back at Emma, who nodded slowly, remembering how far they had come. "Why should now be any different? Why should I be the reason Roland isn't raised by his mother?"

Emma's shoulders fell with defeat. "I still don't think you should give up, Regina," she said, lightly placing her hand on Regina's forearm. "You deserve a happy ending."

Regina said nothing as Emma stood up and then left. She deserved a happy ending? She mulled over everything Emma said. Was she right? In her past, Regina had had no problems tearing apart families and ruining lives, but now…the thought of taking away little Roland's chance of knowing his mother again…conflict rose within her, and not for the first time in her life, Regina didn't know what to do.


	2. Determination

**Disclaimer: I do not own, or in any way am affiliated with Once Upon a Time. This is for entertainment purposes only. **

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who followed/favorited this story! I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

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Henry pulled Emma away from the booth she was sharing with her parents and Hook. "Mom, I've gotta talk to you." His voice was quite, but insistent. Emma threw a confused glance towards her mother, but Snow was too enthralled in her newborn to notice anything going around her.

Emma got up from the booth and followed him to an empty one, towards the back end of the diner. "Yeah Henry, what's wrong?"

"I know you went to see mom," Henry said. She could see the worry in his eyes. "How was she? What did she say?"

Emma sighed softly, putting her hands on her hips. "She's not so good, kid. I can tell she's trying not to blow up, like she used to, but I don't know how long that'll last. She just lost a huge part of her life."

"I have to go to her," Henry said frantically. "I have to show her that she still has a reason to be good!"

Emma shut her eyes. She knew if anyone could convince the former evil queen that there were still reasons to stay good, then it would be their son. Emma opened her eyes and saw complete determination in her kid's eyes. It was almost like looking into a mirror.

Henry took her hands in his, but didn't say anything. He didn't have to. Emma sighed, her resolve broken.

"Just be safe, okay?" she asked, squeezing his hands. "I know she's your mom, and that you love her. But she's also unpredictable. Just be safe."

Henry hugged her, and she placed a kiss on top of his forehead. "Thanks mom," he said, and then pulled away from her. He trotted away, but then came back. "Um," he asked. "Can I borrow your credit card?"

"Do I even wanna know why?" she asked, but she pulled it out and handed it to him.

"Thanks." And then again, he was running in the direction of the door.

Emma watched him leave, worry settling in her heart.


	3. Bonding

**Disclaimer: I'm not making any profit off of this story.**

**A/N: Had quite a few people favorite/follow this story, which makes me happy. **

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There was a insistent ringing, interrupting her thoughts. Maybe, if she waited it out, they would get the message and go away. She was in absolutely no mood to entertain guests.

But whomever was at her door was just as stubborn as she. Groaning to herself, Regina rolled out of bed.

Wearing sweats and a t-shirt, she answered the door. Maybe seeing the fact that she was in no mood to see people, her unwanted guest might rethink coming to think of her. To her surprise, her guest was Henry. In his arms he held his book, what looked to be a DVD, and a grocery bag.

"Henry?" she asked, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice. "What are you doing here?"

He grinned at her. "I wanted to come hang out. You know, mom-son bonding time."

Regina returned his infectious smile. "Come on in," she said, making way for him to enter.

"So you left early," he commented a few moments later. Regina rolled her eyes. Her son was never one for subtlety.

"Yes, I had to get some air. All those people were making it hard to breathe," she explained as they walked into the kitchen. She hoped that he would understand that she didn't want to talk about it.

Henry stayed quiet, and together they dug through the grocery bag. He pulled out two chocolate bars and grinned at her. "Your favorite." Tears welled into her eyes at the fact that he had remembered.

_Regina dropped the groceries onto the island and brushed a hand over her forehead. Eight year old Henry had begun draw away from her, despite trying everything in her power to keep them close. _

_ "Henry?" she asked. _

_ There was an annoyed sigh, and then, "yes?"_

_ "What do you say we have a movie night tonight?" she asked. "You can watch your favorite movie."_

_ Henry thought a moment, and then nodded. "Sure, okay."_

_ Regina smiled, and leaned down to place a kiss on the top of his head. "Go ahead and grab it. I'll get the popcorn ready."_

_ Henry ran off, and Regina started unpacking the groceries. While the popcorn was in the microwave-she had been here twenty five years already, and still the marvels of this world still amazed her-Regina grabbed a chocolate bar out of a drawer._

_ When the popcorn was ready, the two of them settled down in front of the television. _

_ "Try some of this," Regina said, breaking off a piece of chocolate and handing it to him. _

_ Henry took a bite of it and made a face. "It's not sweet," he said. _

_ Regina laughed. "Not really," she admitted. "It's dark chocolate. It's my favorite kind."_

_ "I still prefer chocolate ice cream," Henry said, grinning up at her. _

_ Regina put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him close to her and began to tickle him. "Oh yeah? Maybe I can change your mind."_

_ Henry's laughter filled the room as he struggled against her arms._

"Mom?"

Henry's voice brought her back to the present. "Sorry Henry, what did you say?" she asked.

"I said of course I remembered. Besides, chocolate is always good to have when-" Henry broke off and suddenly looked guilty.

Regina's heart constricted. She had been trying to forget. Wrapping her arms around her son, Regina enveloped him in a hug. "Thank you Henry," she said.

When they broke apart, he looked at her with such assurance in his eyes, it bore a sticking resemblance to Emma. "He will choose you," he told her with confidence.

"Henry," she said, her voice indicating she still did not want to talk about it.

"No listen," he said. "You and Robin Hood are soul mates, just like Snow White and Prince Charming. No great love story is easy."

Regina put her hands on either one of his shoulders. "But Henry," she said. "I cannot take away their happiness. I know what it's like to lose a child, to lose someone I love. I can't do that to either of them."

Henry shook his head. "They weren't _meant _to be together though, mom. _You _were!"

Regina's tough exterior broke, and the tears she had tried to hold in started to fall.

"Don't give up hope mom. I know you have it in you, to believe!" Henry continued to insist. "He loves you mom. So do I." And then he put his arms around his mother's shoulders.


	4. Family

**A/N: This isn't exactly about Regina, but I had to add it. Hope you like it! **

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The bell jingled, and Emma walked back into Granny's diner, shoulders slumped in defeat. Snow looked over her shoulder and saw her daughter, who slipped into a booth alone. Handing Neal to his father, Snow left her table and walked over to her daughter. "How's Regina?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

Emma shrugged. "She's shaken up, but who wouldn't be."

Snow shook her head slowly. "To come so far, only to lose the one person that gave her so much happiness…I can't imagine she'll take it well."

"I told her to fight for him," Emma stated bluntly.

"Emma! You did what?" Snow asked, horrified.

"Think about it," Emma defended. "They are each other's true love!"

"But Emma," Snow said, thinking of the repercussions, "He's married to Marion."

"David was engaged to some Abigail person," Emma reminded her mother. "That didn't stop him from falling in love with you."

"Yes but that's different," Snow began, but Emma shook her head.

"You and David were meant to be together. Regina and Robin are too. That woman deserves finally have her happy ending," Emma said, her voice full of conviction.

"I just hope you know what you've started," Snow warned. "By the time this ends, someone is going to have their heart broken."

Emma sighed, not wanting to get caught up in it. Instead, she looked around the diner. "Where did they go?"

It was Snow's turn to sigh. "I suppose they had a lot to catch up on," she said softly.

Charming joined the group when Neal began to fuss. "You wanna hold him?" he asked Emma, a huge grin on his face.

Emma looked from her father to her mother, and finally her gaze landed on his younger brother. "I've never really held a baby before," she admitted.

"Who better to teach you than your little brother?" Charming asked, and then gently transferred the baby from his arms into Emma's.

Emma cradled her brother, and all thoughts of Regina vanished from her mind. All of her focus was on the tiny human in her arms. "Hey," she said, the smile on her face. "Hi. I'm Emma. I'm your sister." Neal looked up to her and cooed.

"Did you see that?" Emma asked excitedly. "He said hi to me!"

Snow leaned into Charming's shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her and held her tight. Seeing their family together, with nothing threatening to tear them apart, was more than they had ever hoped to imagine.

Emma glanced towards the back of the diner and saw Killian sitting at a book, a sense of peacefulness about him. He had an easy smile going on as he watched Emma and her little brother.

"Hey guys, give me a second," Emma said, and she took Neal over to the booth. "Scooch over," she told Killian, and he complied.

"And who is this little guy," he said as Emma shifted so that he could see.

"This is my little brother," she told him. "This is Neal."

Killian's head shot up and he met Emma's gaze, a smile crawling on his face. "It's a good name," he said. "A lot to live up to, but if he's anything like his big sister, then he shall succeed."

Emma grinned at him and used her free and to grasp his.

Snow watched the three sitting in the booth and shot a worried look towards Charming. "Did you know about this?" she asked.

Charming was smiling at his daughter and the pirate. "Well, no, not exactly," he said, "but I knew it would happen eventually."

Snow furrowed her brow and looked back at the trio, her mouth hanging open.

Charming smiled and placed a kiss on top of her head. "He loves her Snow. He's proved that time and again. Look how much he has changed since you first met him. She helped him become Killian again, and he helped show her the way to becoming part of a family again."

Snow let out a resigned sigh. "I suppose you're right," she admitted. "He has proved himself at least once."


	5. Confrontation

**A/N: Sorry about the delay in updates! Hope you enjoy this one!**

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An annoyed sigh escape Regina's lips. Her fridge and cupboards were bare, and she couldn't keep accepting meals made from the Charmings. Despite the fact that they had a newborn to care for, they had been bringing her meals every couple of days with the excuse, 'Snow seems to be making too much food for us.'

She huffed over dramatically and decided that it was long overdue for her to at least go grocery shopping.

Henry was out spending time with Emma and the pirate, which meant she was going alone. Regina wished he was here with her; it would make this much easier. But he wasn't, and so she'd have to deal with it by herself.

Regina glanced at her reflection in a mirror and frowned. The woman looking back at her had a timidness about her that was unrecognizable. She didn't need Henry to protect her. She was the Evil Queen. She could handle the possibility of a little awkwardness.

It was too warm for a jacket, so she just grabbed her purse and then headed out the door. Fresh air hit her like a welcoming hug. Regina made a face;she had never been one for hugs.

After arriving at the town's only grocery store, Regina grabbed a basket and began browsing the aisles. She noticed the surprising lack of stares in her direction, which both surprised and relieved her. This town had its fair share of gossipers, and Regina was glad to not be on the receiving end this time.

Letting her guard down, Regina felt more comfortable as she began to pick through some fresh produce. Having something to occupy her mind-even something so meaningless as grocery shopping-helped to keep her mind off of more painful thoughts. Ideas of different dinners she was going to make for her and Henry the next little bit flowed through her mind, but all of a sudden someone behind her jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Y-your majesty?" The timid voice sent an icy chill through her veins.

Regina turned around slowly and was face to face with the one person she had never imagined-or wanted, for that matter-to see. The soft features of the other woman hid an intense fear with indifference, but Regina could feel just how afraid the woman was

"It's just Regina," was her reply. She too was hiding her true feelings, but unlike this woman standing in front of her, Regina knew how to keep a composed face.

"Look. I wanted to thank you for taking care of Roland while I was-" the woman paused, and Regina could almost see her attempting to locate the 'correct' words. Normally, Regina might be compelled to help the woman out and let her know everything was fine, but the former evil Queen took a perverse pleasure in seeing the woman standing before her squirm.

Marian seemed to realize what was going through Regina's mind. She straightened and set her face with a stern expression, as if she were talking to a child. "But I wanted to let you know that I'm back now-"

Regina couldn't help herself. She interrupted. "Oh? I hadn't noticed."

Marian clenched her teeth, seeming to bite back the obvious frustration. "So I won't need your help with _my _son." There was a subtle inflection on the word 'my', but Regina caught it.

A spasm of pain went through her heart, but Regina kept it from registering on her face. Apparently, she took too long to reply, because Marian gave a tight smirk. "I'm sure you understand _your highness._"

Regina gave her a strained smile. "Of course," she said, and watched as Marian turned on her heel and walk away.

Anger filled Regina. Anger towards the retreating woman. Anger towards Emma for bringing her back. Anger towards Robin for just throwing her to the curb without so much as an explanation. And angry at herself for even caring so much.

"Regina," a voice said warmly. It was Snow. "It's so good to see you outside."

Regina turned towards her step-daughter. "Yes," she said slowly, trying to contain the anger that had flared so hotly inside of her.

Snow must have recognized the look because a sympathetic pained look crossed her features. "Not a good day?"

Regina glanced down at her near empty basket and wondered if she even wanted to get into it. "Not entirely," she agreed slowly. "But not nearly as bad as it could have been."

That answered seemed to satisfy Snow because she developed an irritatingly bright smile. "I'm so happy to hear that," she said, clearly trying (and not doing a very good job at it) at hiding just _how _happy it made her.

"Well, I'll leave you to finish shopping, Regina," Snow told her, still beaming. "It was nice to see you out and about."

The new mother turned to leave when an idea struck Regina. "Snow, how about you and Charming come join Henry and I for dinner?"

Surprise filled Snow's face, but it was soon replaced with glee. "W-we'd love to," she said, not even trying to hide her smile anymore.

Regina returned Snow's infectious smile. It was becoming increasingly difficult not to. "Great. At seven?"

Snow nodded excitedly. "We'll be there."

They said their goodbyes, and Regina continued her shopping, trying to focus on what she was going to make tonight and not about the conversation she had had earlier today.

Unfortunately, the conversation played itself over and over in her mind without stop.


	6. Memory

**Hullo readers. I really hope (think) you'll like (love?) this one. I absolutely loved writing it. Please let me know what you think! **

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Regina clenched the arms of her chair so hard that her knuckles turned white. The pain in her chest was so real; she couldn't believe it wasn't physical. Eyes clenched tight, all she could see was his face. The pained look on his face as he attempted to explain…

Her eyes popped open and she realized she had been holding her breath. Allowing her lungs to once again take in air, Regina's heart slowly returned to normal.

She thought about the aching muscle and mused to herself on how different things might be if she just plucked it out and hid it away for the time being. That thought, unfortunately, brought up another painful memory of the last time she had to hide away the organ.

She wished Henry was home. She wished he hadn't become so enamored with the pirate. What a role model for her son. What other kinds of people was Emma letting their son come in contact with?

With a resigned sigh, Regina let go such thoughts. She knew Henry enjoyed the company of the pirate; a way to connect with his dead father? Regina didn't know, but as long as Henry was happy, that was all that mattered.

_Ding. _The noise of the microwave timer made Regina jump slightly. It was time for her to check on dinner; she really didn't want to serve the Charmings' burned lagsanga. Despite that, Regina really didn't want to get out of her chair, because that meant moving, and moving was something she really wasn't inclined to doing at that moment. But that meant stillness, and in the stillness the memories of him invaded her memory.

_It had been a completely exhausting day, and it wasn't even half over yet. After the confrontation at the store and a surprising invitation for the Charmings to come have dinner with her, Regina needed some space away from everything, even if it were for a few moments. _

_Deciding on a walk, Regina turned her back on the town and headed away from the distractions of cooking and heartbreak. _

_The walk did her good. Finally her head cleared, and she was able to focus on just what she was going to make for dinner. With a frustrated sigh, she resigned to making lasagna. It was the only thing she really knew how to make. _

_A gust of cool wind blew in her face, causing her to pause in her walk; the air held a crispness to it that belonged more to October than to May. Regina zipped up her jacket and decided to ask Mr. Gold about it after her walk. _

_And suddenly Regina realized where she was. Her feet had taken her deep into the forest while her absent minded brain thought about all of the work she had to do when she returned._

_The beating of her heart seemed so loud to her ears that Regina was afraid it would give away her position to anyone who might be lurking in the dark shadows, but no one called out. Not daring to let her guard down, Regina slowly turned around to walk away when a breeze carried a familiar scent past her nose. Regina froze, her heart speeding up faster than it had before. _

Please_, Regina thought to herself. _Please just let me leave. _But her prayer went unanswered. At least, she didn't get the answer she wanted. _

"_Regina." That voice. That damn voice. _

_Putting on a cold exterior, Regina waited until the owner of said voice was almost face to face with her. "Hello," she said, willing her voice to stay calm. _

"_I've needed to talk to you." _

Just like him_, Regina thought to herself. _Straight to the point. _Out loud, however, she said, "I suppose sneaking up on me was the only way to accomplish that?"_

_Robin laughed softly, but it was more out of awkwardness than humor. "No. Actually, you came to me. Sort of."_

_Regina let out a noise of indignation. "I did no such thing."_

_Robin left the smile on his face. "In fact you did, Regina. You know this is my favorite spot. You know I frequent here, so why are you surprised to see me?"_

_Regina opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. Yes, she had known all that. With her mind otherwise occupied, her legs had taken her to the one place that relaxed her most. _

"_I must have taken a wrong turn," was what Regina _thought _she had said. What she actually said was this: "My mind was distracted, and I didn't realize where I was going." _

_Robin's face, she notice, lit up ever so slightly, and she was horrified at the implications of what she had just said. "I'll leave right away," and she turned to do so, but Robin reached out and took her hand. He said her name, so she turned her head to look at him, and suddenly, familiar lips were connected with hers. Her hands found their place around his neck, her fingers playing with his hair. His arms wrapped around her body, and Regina had an overwhelming feeling of security flood her soul. _

_Despite the shock of what she was doing, Regina didn't pull away immediately. When their kiss broke, she leaned back ever so slightly, though Robin's arms didn't let her go too far. "What was it you wanted to say to me?" she asked, unable to keep the smile from her lips. _

_Robin laughed softly-oh how Regina had _missed _that sound-and cradled the back of her head in his hand. "I've suddenly forgotten," he replied, his smile reaching his eyes. _

_Regina gave him a look. "How careless of you," she said, clicking her tongue. "What might you forget next?" _

_And suddenly Robin was serious again. "Never this," he whispered so softly, Regina wasn't entirely sure that he had even said it. She leaned into his embrace and let her head rest on his shoulder. His arms tightened softly around her, and they stood there for a long time. _

_After a considerable amount of time, Regina reluctantly pulled away. "We can't do this," she whispered. _

_Robin looked as hurt by her words as she herself felt. "Why?"_

"_Because you have a family. I can't…I won't get in the middle of this. Marian has already told me to stay away from Roland-"_

_Robin's eyes darkened, and he interrupted her. "What?"_

"_She came to me today and told me to stay away from _her _son," Regina answered, putting the same inflection on the word 'her' as Marian herself had done. _

_Robin's hands made fists, and then he released them. He took Regina's hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. "No one gets to make that decision, Regina. You are a part of his life, a very large part, and I won't have you two separated."_

_The words left her mouth before she could stop them. "What about us?"_

_What about us._

Those three words still echoed through her mind. The timer was still beeping at her, and she heard the front door opening. Henry was home. Regina shook her head, as if that would get rid of the memory, and stood up. She would have to deal with just what she had done soon, but tonight was about family and happiness.


	7. An Unwanted Guest

**I couldn't wait to post this chapter, so here it is. Thank you all so very much for your reviews-they inspired me to write this and get it out asap. Please keep letting me know what like/dislike about this as it helps to fuel my muse (a well fed muse equals quicker updates, not a bad trade). I hope you enjoy this one! **

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Despite everything that had happened earlier in the day, dinner with the Charmings was going well. They had brought over a loaf of French bread (correctly assuming that Regina had made her lasagna) and Snow made a joke about what would they have done if the former evil queen had decided to switch things up on them.

Henry was enthralled with his baby uncle (the complexities of the family never ceased to cause copious amounts of laughter from the group) and Regina was pleased with seeing her son so happy.

Being a part of this family had given her a purpose, even if it did remind her of the family she had lost in one swoop. But now wasn't the time to think of such things.

Everyone was careful to not mention Emma, even though it felt strange that the blonde wasn't sitting at the table with them, even to Regina. Her anger had cooled towards her co-parent, but despite that, she really didn't care to see her. There was no telling what suppressed emotions might rise to the surface in the other woman's presence.

However, stories of the escapades between the babe and pirate were not in short supply.

"And he just cried and squealed, and Hook just kinda waved his, uh, hook in front of him, and Neal was just so hypnotized by it," Snow said, half her words lost in a fit of laughter. She let her mouth hang open in wonderment in an attempt to imitate her infant son.

Everyone at the table shared a long, hearty laugh. "I'm afraid of what Killian's influence on our son will be," David added at the end of the story. The smile reaching his eyes told Regina otherwise.

"Hey, Killian's cool!" Henry blurted. "He's teaching me all sorts of stuff."

"Oh?" Regina asked, looking at her son, trying to be stern. "Like what kind of 'things'?"

Henry glanced at his mom, stuffed his mouth with bread, and said something that she assumed was, "my mouth is full right now." She rolled her eyes, and he just grinned, cheeks still full.

A forceful knock at the door interrupted the fun. "Were you expecting company?" David asked.

Regina shook her head. "Just the three of you."

"Want me to get it, mom?" Henry asked, finishing his mouthful.

Regina shook her head as she stood up. "It's probably someone here to talk about the mysterious chill in the air. They no doubt know you both are here; you can hear David's laugh all through town."

She had their back to the table, making her way towards the door, when she heard him say, "hey!" and felt a piece of bread hit her square in the back.

She turned and gave him a look, and then laughed when she saw him pointing most ardently at his son.

Rolling her eyes in amusement, Regina opened the door. She didn't see anyone right away, so she stepped outside.

"Hello?"

"Hello your highness."

Hearing her voice, Regina gently shut the door behind her. Guilt flared up in her heart, but she quickly squashed it down. "What are you doing here?"

Marian was wearing civilian clothes, which made her look out of place. Regina supposed the woman felt exactly that. "I told you to stay away from my family."

"As far as I'm concerned, I've not gone to your home, in the middle of dinner, and interrupted. I can't, however, say the same for you," Regina said, trying to keep her voice even.

Marian's face pinched in anger. "Stalking my husband counts as disrupting my family."

"Stalking?" Regina laughed out the words. "If two people can't take a walk and run into each other without being accused of, of stalking then we live in a sad world indeed." She didn't even try to deny it.

Marian took in a deep breath, supposedly to calm herself. "What decisions I make for my son are of none of your concern."

A small smile reached Regina's lips. "Ah, so word got back to Robin of our little 'discussion' earlier today. I suppose he wasn't happy with it?"

Marian slapped her. "You have no idea what it feels like to have your family ripped away from you, and to have no power to stop it." The words were thrown at Regina with such agony.

"You don't think I know how that feels?" Regina shouted back. "You know nothing of me. I have lost so much in my lifetime that it would take days to recount everything to you."

"Why would I believe that?" Marian growled. "The last time I saw you, I was waiting to be murdered under the name of 'justice'."

Regina stood up tall. "In your memory, yes. That is the last thing you remember of me." Her voice was calm now. "But for me, that was over thirty years ago. That is a long time for a person to not change."

Marian frowned, and Regina could see her thinking the words over. The two women stood in silence until Marian sat down on one of the concrete steps. Her shoulders slumped as if she had been carrying a heavy burden for a long time.

Regina let her own shoulders sag slightly. "I had no idea…" she began, but then stopped. "There are plenty of things that I've done in my life that I am not-" she paused, swallowed, and then continued. "That I'm not proud of. But at the time, I honestly thought I was doing what I had to do."

"That's not a very good excuse," Marian bit out, and Regina thought she heard a small amount of humor in the words.

"Not an excuse at all. I'm not going to make excuses for what happened in the past." Completely unaware as to why she was even having this discussion with the woman that had ruined her second chance at a happy ending, Regina continued.

"I have never hurt your son."

Marian looked up at Regina, and for the first time, there was no malice in her eyes. "I know," she choked out, tears beginning to roll down her face. "He can't stop talking about 'Gina'. He loves you."

Regina's cold heart warmed over, and she didn't try to stop the smile. "I would never dream of hurting him."

Marian sighed deeply. "Robin left. He said he needed to 'make a clear decision about his life'."

Shock filled Regina. He had left Marian? A small inkling of hope settled in Regina's heart, but she put it away-for now.

"I should go," Marian whispered. "Let you get back to your dinner."

Regina didn't argue with her. There was no apology offered, and none was demanded. Marian stood up, and then disappeared into the darkness.

Regina took in a few shallow breaths to calm herself before reentering her home.

Concerned looks were on all of the faces at the table.

"Regina, is everything alright?" Snow asked.

Regina nodded. "Yes, for now. I hope."

* * *

**I'm really looking forward to your thoughts and comments on this chapter. I think a few of us have forgotten that Marian is, above all, a mother. The very last thing she remembers Regina is the murderess that was about to execute Marian, so there is no reason for Marian to think that the woman she is now is any different than the one she knows. I don't believe she knew about the curse (seeing as she died before it was enacted), and as much as I hate Marian's presence in Storybrooke, I can't bring myself to hate the woman herself. Thoughts? **


End file.
